1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a knife, more particularly to a foldable knife of the type generally recognized as hunting knives, pocket knifes, jack knives, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,272,887, 4,170,061 and 3,942,249 and includes a folding knife having a locking or latching mechanism which latches the knife 1 in its closed position or in its open position. However, the prior art latching mechanisms utilize circular and/or arcuate surfaces and openings to obtain the latching function but such arrangements are subject to wear between the blade and the locking member, for instance a blade in the latch open position may be inadvertently subject to closing pressure without release of the latch and the prior art circular and/or arcuate surfaces do not present sufficient contact surface area between the blade and the latch, which places undue stress on the elements, causing wear and breakage. In addition, the prior art devices have only two locked positions, open or closed, so that when a person attempts to use a knife with the blade folded to an unlocked perpendicular position, the result is an unsafe condition inasmuch as the blade may rotate onto a person's hand with a resulting severe injury.